Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!ai-lab!life!caroma From: caroma@ai.mit.edu (Carl R. Manning) Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: Re: the interface for the rest of us? Message-ID: Date: 3 May 91 16:27:20 GMT References: <9105021606.AA26962@lti2.lti.uucp> Sender: news@ai.mit.edu Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab Lines: 85 In-reply-to: jaguar@arkham.wimsey.bc.ca's message of 3 May 91 10:41:21 GMT In article jaguar@arkham.wimsey.bc.ca (Jeremy Reimer) writes: ... [Go Penpoint machines] ... I don't think you'll see too many of them, though, despite the press. Think about it: 1) The Clipboard: Cost: $1.95 Durability: Drop it, smash it, do anything to it,it will survive Compatability: Unlimited for anyone who speaks the same language Unfortunately, computers often don't, and so if you want to use information technology to manage the info written down, whether on forms or notepaper, there is another translation step. Transportability: Excellent Expandability: as many sheets of paper as you want And are willing to carry around with you. 2) The PenPoint system Cost: Around $6000 Currently high, but will come down. Durability: Drop it, the LCD screen cracks, and it's toast Compatability: Limited depending on software available Transportability: Good, but don't lose the pen Expandability: On-board memory limited Will be less limiting when networking is added. It looks like you're attacking the current implementation, which is fine---but don't confuse the current implementation with the reasons behind the excitement over the development of this technology. My impressions about this excitement are: o The current GO Penpoint machine is targetted at developers who want to develop and test applications for Penpoint in anticipation of a blossoming market. I don't think Go is planning on marketing its machine at all to the mass market; instead it is marketing Penpoint to many manufacturers who are developing their own (hopefully cheaper) Penpoint machines. o Penpoint machines open up information technology to many new markets where workers must be standing and walking around in their work. They may not seem useful for people who work at a desk and can type. However, a clipboard interface may be more flexible and much easier to use when standing than a laptop or a pushbutton palmtop. The opening of a large new market is an important opportunity (for both impact on society and profitability). o Penpoint machines will soon be integrated with local and wide area wireless networks, similar to those already in use in the machines used by FedEx drivers and IBM support technicians. In this information age, I don't need to tell you how important quick transmission of and access to new, up-to-date information can be for many applications. Wireless information networks (WIN?) enable not only client-server applications (communicating with home-base database) but also peer-to-peer applications such as transmitting notes, slides, etc., among the machines of people in a meeting, at a conference, or mingling and making contacts. (Smaller versions with a convenient enough interface may replace the time-planners, notebooks, etc. many people carry around.) o The pen interface may be better suited for languages whose written form is not based on a small alphabet suitable for keyboards (as others have already mentioned), thus potentially opening up markets for more basic computing services in other parts of the world. So yes, you may not see too many of them in the next 6 months, and may never see many of the GO machines in particular. If you're reading netnews, there's probably a good chance your work is at a deskbound networked workstation, so you may not have much need for one. But many people see the Penpoint technology as opening up many new markets in the next few years, and are excited by these opportunities. Just my impressions. Cheers, CarlManning@ai.mit.edu